Improvement in apparatus for destructive distillation



' L. ATWOOD.

on sun.

No. 23.006. Patented Feb. 22, 1859.

Witnesses= Inventor,

AM. PHOTO-T110110. N.Y. (OSBGRNE'S PROCESS.)

UNrrn STATES LUTHER ATWOOD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR DESTRUCTlVE DISTILLATION.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,(l06, dated February .22, 18-59.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER Arwoon, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for destructive distillation and carbonization, applicable to the distillation of wood, bones, bituminous coal, and other solid substances which maintain their figure during decomposition, and which yield liquid products at comparatively low temperatures; and I do hereby declare that 'the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawing, and to the letters of reference thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in combining a vertical combustion-tower or fireplace, open at the top, and in whichfuel is burned with a downward draft, with a vertical distilling tower or chamber, in which the substance acted on is placed, and with a conti nuous strainblast or other controllable means of producing a draft through the apparatus in such manner that the products of combustion from the combustiontower enter the disfilling-tower at the bottom and pass up through it and the mass of fragments it may contain, substantially as hereinafter described.

But more particularly to describe my invention, I will refer to the accompanying draw.- ing, forming a part of this specification, and which represents a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus.

Letter A of the drawing represents a vertical combustion-tower or fire-place in the form of a hollow cylinder of brick,open at the top, and provided with a grate, G, and ash-pit D, which communicates by passage E with ash pit or cavity D, under the distilling-tower A, which is also a hollow cylinder of brick of larger dimensions than the combustion tower, and provided with a grate, G, discharging aperture and stopper B, and covered at the top with an air-tight cover, in which is a charging-aperture, R. From the middle of the cover opens the draft-pipe H, whichmay connect with any suitable condensing apparatus, and is provided with a steam-jet pipe,K, which is furnished with a regulating-valve, and must be connected with a high-pressure steam-boiler, from which steam at about sixty (60) pounds pressure to the square inch may be obtained. The ash-pits D and D are each provided with discharging-apertures and stoppers O and O, which are kept stopped tight and luted during the operation to prevent the admission of air. The charging-aperture It must also be kept covered and luted during the operation, for the same reason, and likewise the discharging-aperture B. The walls of the combustion and distilling towers and all the passages must be closely cemented, so as to be impervious to air.

In the use of the apparatus I fill the combustion-tower with coke or charcoal in small fragments well packed together. I-also fill the distilling-tower with the material to be decomposed in fragments of moderate size, close and lute the manholes, and set fire to the coke at the top of the combustion-tower, at the same time turning on the steam-blast, which induces a draft which carries the products of combustion down through the combustion-tower and the coke the-rein through grate G, passages D and E, and upward through cavity D, grate G, and the distilling-tower, gradually decomposing the wood, bones, or

coal therein, the products escaping through the pipe H to a suitable condensing apparatus. The use of the open combustion-chamber enables the operator to press down the fuel on top, so as to prevent air-holes'forming through the burning fuel sufficiently large to permit ingress to the distillingtower of atmospheric air; and the advantage of burning fuel in a separate chamber is that the residue in the distilling tower may be removed comparatively free from impurity. The temperature at which the process is conducted is regulated by the valve on the steam-jet pipe K.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-

The arrangement and combination of the combustion-tower, distilling-tower, and steamblast, or their substantial equivalents, in com bination, when arranged, combined, and 0perated substantially as hereinbefore described.

LUTHER ATWOOD. Witnesses:

W. H. Goonnow, JOHN W. STEARNS. 

